The Gospel on the Loose

The Gospel on the Loose: Message Outline

(H) Imagine a track runner that showed up to the starting line, they had trained, etc., and they just stood there and never competed because they did not understand they were at the beginning. Ridiculous! But how many of us do this spiritually?

(M/W) I’m sure we have all faced the thought that we reached the finish linewhen we were saved or baptized, but this is only the beginning!

You are just getting started!!

Big Idea: Christianity is not just about going to heaven when you die, it is living your life now for his kingdom and purpose!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (G) Philippians 1:19-24 (ESV) for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, (20) as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honoredin my body, whether by life or by death.

(Greek for “honored”: Megalyno[mega-lean-no]) exalt, glorify, magnify, to make great or powerful. Is Jesus being made great in your life not just your death?

(21) For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (22) If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. (23) I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. (24) But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Being with Christ is better. . . but is there anyone that makes you want to stay here? Who are you influencing for Christ that makes you say, “But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account”? I propose that if no names come to mind that we aren’t living the fullness of the lives that we are supposed to be living.

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Galatians 2:20 (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

It is no longer I who lives, it is no longer my purpose for which I live, it is no longer my plan for which I live, it is living for Jesus Christ right now!

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Ephesians 4:11-15 (TPT) And he has appointed some with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists, and some with grace to be pastors, and some with grace to be teachers. (12) And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ. (13) These grace ministries will function until we all attain oneness into the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one into a perfect man with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed into the abundance of Christ. (14) And then our immaturity will end! And we will not be easily shaken by trouble, nor led astray by novel teachings or by the false doctrines of deceivers who teach clever lies. (15) But instead we will remain strong and always sincere in our love as we express the truth. All our direction and ministries will flow from Christ and lead us deeper into him, the anointed Head of his body, the church.

The work of ministry is not just for those on staff at a church, but for everyone within the body! It is the leader’s/pastor’s job to equip you to serve in ministry and to make a difference! We are to grow in spiritual maturity and find our place to work within the body to be a blessing to Christ and to others.

Thy kingdom come thy will be done- we can answer the prayer not just pray it

(Y) All of us as Christians need to be living our faith out loud. Not to be obnoxious, but also not trying to stay under the radar. Be influential in the lives of others for the sake of the gospel! Are you influencinganyone?

Romans 1:16 (ESV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

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Imagine this:

· Jesus would have never been crucified if he lived like most American Christians!

· The disciples wouldn’t have been persecuted/beaten!

· Stephen wouldn’t have been stoned!

· Paul and Peter wouldn't have been imprisoned!

· James the brother of John wouldn’t have been killed!

· John wouldn’t have been exiled to Patmos!

· No one would have been martyred!

But, think about this:

· Barabbas, a murderer and rebel, was released to go free. The gospel and lives that were changed by Jesus were more dangerous to society than one who took lives. It was safer to have a murderer on the loose than the gospel on the loose. But is that the case today?

(W) Imagine if we were busy like the early church instead of just busy as Americans, with today’s technology and advancements we could take the world for Christ in one generation. It was said in the book of Acts that the Christians turned the world upside down, imagine what we could do today.